Marandi's exit to hurt JMM

ASSEMBLY POLL

Stephen Marandi's exit from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) will hobble the party in the third phase of polling in Jharkhand. Twenty-eight seats in Santhal Pargana, Dhanbad and Giridih will go to the polls on February 23. The JMM has nine sitting MLAs from the region.

The count may drop as Marandi is busy forging a third front. "I have the support of several independents and small parties such as the United Goa Democratic Front (UGDP) and the All-Jharkhand Student's Union (AJSU). We are winning," says the five-time MLA and former Rajya Sabha member.

In Santhal Pargana's Dumka constituency, Marandi is taking on JMM chief Shibu Soren's son Hemant Soren. Marandi was Soren's right-hand man in the JMM, but was denied a ticket and has entered the fray as an independent. He has been winning from Dumka since 1980.

Marandi and his supporters accuse Soren of running the JMM like his family business. Soren's elder son, Durga Soren, represents the neighbouring Jama seat in the Assembly. "Soren thinks he can put up any cat or dog in Santhal Pargana and it will win," Marandi said addressing a rally in Dumka, a few paces away from Soren' house.

Marandi, however, maintains that he still remains a constituent of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the Centre. Marandi's strategy is simple: if the alliance is in a position to form the government, he can pitch for the chief minister's post.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has remained noncommittal about a chief ministerial candidate. The suspense has only fuelled Marandi's hopes and Soren's suspicions. Soren, according to party sources, has been talking to the BJP in a bid to get the chief minister's post if the Congress decides to nominate a candidate of its own.

"I have not talked to Gandhi but have been in touch with her advisers," Marandi said. "If the situation arises, I will rule out an alliance with the Congress." RK Anand is said to be the "advisor". He is believed to have been instrumental in engineering Marandi's exit.

Marandi's rebellion has spawned a group of independents and quite a few of them are in a position to jeopardise the JMM's lead in several seats.

Apart from Dumka, the JMM seems to be heading for trouble elsewhere too. Main among them is Anil Murmu. His opponent in Lalitpara is sitting JMM legislator, Sushila Hasda. She is the wife of Simon Marandi, who had left the JMM, only to return to it four months back. Murmu, who is considered close to Marandi, will split the JMM vote and strengthen BJP candidate Som Marandi.

VK Singh is contesting as an independent from Mahagama and Khuddu Murmu from Borio. Borio has traditionally been a JMM seat, but may slip from the party's grasp this time. In Sikaripara, David Murmu, who has joined the AJSU is challenging the sitting JMM legislator, Nalin Soren.

In Barhait, Sarat and Madhupur, the JMM is up against the RJD or the BJP and the Christian vote, which is likely to go to Independents, is likely to play a decisive role in these three-way fights.

Tribal Christian voters have usually voted for the JMM. However, with Marandi out of the picture now, it will be difficult for Soren to retain the Christian vote.

Durga Soren had crossed swords with a bishop in a land eviction case in Dumka and it was Stephen Marandi who had clinched a patch up between the JMM and the church. Now with Marandi fighting on his own, the Christian votes will go to his kitty or to smaller parties like the United Goa Democratic Party (UGDP), or Independents.

The BJP has four sitting seats in Santhal Pargana and the Congress and the RJD have two seats each. The outcome of the tussle between independents and JMM in Santhal Pargana will decide which way the wind is blowing for Shibu Soren.